Cosplay
by Drama-freakz
Summary: Japan becomes infuriated with the sights that he sees online. Well, as angry as Japan can get. He wishes to set things right and tell everyone the correct way to cosplay. Having cosplay troubles? Just need tips? Japan's your man.
1. Introduction

Cosplay Tips Introduction

Japan's usually serene face pulled into a nasty frown as he stared at the scene in front of him. Grumbling to himself incoherently he minimized _Google _and summoned his web-cam to start up. After a few seconds of preparation his own face appeared on the screen. He smiled at it and fixed his hair a bit before pressing the "play" button. His recording is as follows:

"Konbonwa. I am Kiku Honda. I an afraid that because of my countless hours slaving away over my computer I have seen more then enough horrible cosplays. I wanted to act! I have taken it upon myself to be your teacher, mentor, counselor, and pupil in this experience. If you would join me, together we can make the world's cosplays better!

"I have found through my searches that there are many main topics that are to be discussed, critical and common incorrect techniques in the cosplaying ways and I hope, no, I know I can correct them!

"First thing is first! American Vs. Japanese cosplay. Just because cosplay is thought to be a Japanese creation does not mean that people of other ethnicities are not allowed to cosplay. Searching online I have found that there are as many poor Asian cosplays as there are any others. Just the same there are the same number of remarkable cosplays that are done by Americans. Besides this America and Japan are not the only countries that cosplay, not by a long shot. Cosplay can be found anywhere in every nation and if one was to open up their eyes enough they would notice this.

"But enough of boring pointing out the obvious! I must inform you to know what you will be learning about in these videos.

"I will make several different videos and I will start with the head and work my way down to the feet. I will also cover role-playing and convention behavior for those who are interested.

"I will take suggestions and questions in either private messages or reviews, also if you have a problem with a specific character I would be more than willing to help!

Thank you and I hope that you will join me again for the other videos that will be up as soon as possible. Thank you for your time."

Japan gave a quick bob of his head and sat back relieved. He would teach these people to cosplay if it was the last thing he did. Smiling to himself he reached over and took a sip of tea. He had to get started, and soon, on the next video. Otherwise people might get upset.

END CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION!

JAPAN DOES NOT LIE, REVIEW!

Hey ya'll! It's Drama_Freakz! Really, I've wanted to post a video on cosplay for heaven knows how long but I just recently (and by just recently I mean I was sitting in the shower and had an epiphany!) thought of posting something like this on fanfiction! I mean who is better at explaining cosplay then good ol' Japan himself? Amirite? Alright time for the boring stuff! I do not own Google, Hetalia, Youtube or any other thing that may be mentioned in this! I also am a what you may call "professional" cosplayer. Meaning I've gone to several conventions and have been in many of cosplays that I was deemed "Best Belarus I've ever seen" and "Most adorable Rukia here!" I've also cosplayed as Romano from Hetalia, Misa Misa from Death Note, (Belarus is my main), Hunter from L4D, Witch from L4D, Switzerland and many others that I haven't gone out in public in. Alois Trancy, Liechtenstein (New costume!), Fem! Germany and Iceland are next! ;D


	2. Wigs and Hair

Chapter Two: Hats and Wigs!

Kiku smiled at the few views he had gotten and quickly ran another _Google_ search for more cosplays to give him inspiration. Grimacing, he yet again minimized the page and pulled up his web-cam. The few seconds passed by quickly and once more his own face appeared on the screen. A quick tidy up of his appearance and he was able to begin recording. What follows was his second video:

"Good morning. Once again this is Kiku Honda, giving you tips on cosplays. Today we will cover a very misinterpreted and incorrectly done part of the cosplay; hats and wigs.

"The reason I am conjoining these two videos is strictly for the reason of time!

"I will jump right into it and start with hat do's and don'ts! Hats begin with the fact that not all characters wear hats, it depends on the character so you don't always need them. For example, China doesn't wear a beanie and thus you shouldn't wear one when you are cosplaying regardless of whether or not you are wearing it strictly for covering the netting in your wig. If the character is actually wearing a hat then go ahead, but make sure it is the correct hat for the character, for example wearing a burette while you are being Switzerland.

"Wigs on the other hand are what seems to be a major problem among cosplayers. If the wig is cheaper than 20 $ and is from a party store, do not buy it. Wigs are the second most expensive thing in your cosplay most of the time (the first being the actual costume).

"Tip one: If the wig isn't the correct length, meaning it's too long, do not cut it. Simply buy another wig. If it is a wig that you used for another cosplay definitely DO NOT cut it. You will ruin the wig. Simply buy a new one, besides you may want to perform that cosplay at another time.

"Tip two: Take care of your wigs! Do not simply throw them in a bag or place them in obvious view. Another thing being keep them out of reach of children and those that may mess with them or mistreat them! Hang them up on a sphere-shaped figure. That will keep them in the curvature of a head as well as keep them nice and not tangled.

"As well as this make sure you carefully brush them, rushing through with a pick will damage the wig. Just lightly brush over the surface of the wig. This will undo any tangles that are on the surface of the wig. If need be gently turn the wig inside out, so the netting is showing, and even more gently run your fingers through and tangled hair. But never do this if you have to use force. Besides this if you are storing your wig correctly this shouldn't be a problem.

"Alright, putting on the wig. This is fairly simple with those that have short hair, such as myself. But first thing is first, those with very long and thick hair, first separate your hair into three sections, you may need assistance. Do not use thick rubber bands, we are attempting to get out the idea of any space between your head and the wig itself. So separate the three sections and start with the back and go forward. Divide it into as many small sections as possible, spin it around your finger to make a neat circle and pin it, with a bobby pin to your head. Repeat this and always attempt to get the pins pointing more to the back of your head of the part.

"If you have bangs then gather then all up and bobby pin them up. If this isn't possible, wait until you have a wig cap on. For short a medium hair this shouldn't be much of a problem. But as well as with the long hair, those with medium length hair must pin hair to their heads with bobby pins and not put it in a pony tail, this is noticeable and amateurish.

"With wig caps it is best to have one that is near the color of the wig, lighter go with the tan or dark go with black, it is never a bad thing to have more than one color of wig cap on stock. They run about 1-3 dollars depending where you get them. So when putting on the wig cap go front to back. Hold the front side with one hand and pull back with the other. Once done with that stuff all excess hair into the wig cap and pin it to your head.

"Next is the tricky part. The wig. This can be done one of two ways, first way is that you put your wig upside down and put it on front to back, then bring your head back and fix the wig. Next way is that you can keep it upright and put it on like you did the wig cap. This is better for longer wigs because it gives you less trouble attempting to get on the wig and then fix it.

"When preparing to go to a convention you need to make sure your wig is styled properly. Style your wig as you wish and then hair spray it. Don't use too much hair spray of it will ruin the natural flow of the wig, but don't under spray it or it will come loose. Spray it for only a few seconds and don't soak it.

"During conventions it is best if you don't allow anyone to mess with your wig. It could come off and ruin all that hard work you put into it. As well as that abolish the image that you are the character.

"Thank you for your time. That is all I have today for wigs and hats. If you have any questions concerning wigs or hats please review or message me.

"I will now answer questions from the previous chapter.

asked:

"This is so cool!I haven't done any cosplays and I have no idea where to start and how to do it right."

**Well, the best place to start is thinking what your favorite anime, manga, or game that you like the best. If that doesn't work go with characters you feel you look like. But, choose a character you like, otherwise there would be no point in the cosplay. **

**Before you think about buying it, make sure you aren't able to decently make the cosplay costume, or make sure the pieces aren't easily obtainable. **

**Then go online and price. Anything above 100$ without shipping and handling is too much. But make sure you have a good quality costume, so always read comments on the product before you buy it. **

**Thank you.**

Irene n nalley asked:

"Haha! This is an awesome idea! I would like omen help actually, I've never cosplayed before and my friend wants me to be "Grell" in her black butler amv thingy. Any advice? I am a pretty good actress, but I'm having trouble getting into character because "Sebastian " happens to be played by an annoying pervert... I also am having trouble getting Grell 's voice down... any help on how to stay in character would be great! Again, the idea of Japan giving cosplay advice is adorable! Update soon!"

**Grell is a challenging first character to cosplay. Make sure you are willing to spend money on a costume or assure that you can obtain one some way or another. **

**The character Grell is would most likely be a bit too happy if it came to Bassy being perverted. As well as that it would most likely be time for you to have a bit of a conversation with Sebastian about staying in character. If you wish to cosplay nothing gets a fan more happy then a good cosplayer that can actually act like the character. **

**As for the voice, he has a very scratchy voice so if you go into the back of your throat and raise your larynx (basically the back of your throat. It controls pitch of your voice) it take practice. So don't be embarrassed if you were able to practice a bit while walking around and saying different things to get yourself accustomed to the voice. **

**But as for getting in character, simply attempt to act like a diva whenever it doesn't get you in trouble start taking up Grell's postures and body movements like exaggerated swishing of hips or putting your hands on your hips. Perhaps winking a lot. **

**Thank you.**


	3. Makeup and Jewlery

Japan moved silently into his room. The clock to the side of him read that it was nearly midnight. He flicked on the lights and made his way over to his computer stowed in the corner of the small room.

Flicking his finger across the button, he decided it would be time to update. The webcam was quickly pulled up and he fixed his appearance before clicking the record button. His recording is what follows.

"Hello, Kiku Honda back again with another segment of cosplay tips. This time I will cover make up. I will make a few brief statements about jewelry in the end as well.

"To begin I will start with making sure that you must bathe either the morning of or the night before you go out cosplaying. You must bathe everyday of the convention for if you don't when people ask for pictures they wont be pleased when confronting you or standing next to you.

"Next is assure a month or so before the convention you really start paying attention to any acne you may have, whether it be on your face, back, chest, anything that maybe exposed.

"Sometimes some appear and you can't fix it. A good trick that I learned a bit ago would be egg whites and about a teaspoon or so of lemon juice or as much as you think necessary. This makes your skin very soft because of the egg whites and the lemon juice clears out the pores. Wait until it is dry until you wash it off with a wash cloth.

"One other tip would be, when you are at home or simply relaxing, pulling your hair back and wearing no make up will help clear your skin. For gentlemen make sure your face is clean by simply washing it.

"On to the make up. Just before you put on any kind of makeup assure that your face, neck and any other parts of your body is clear of any makeup or cosmetic. Then put on a very thin layer of moisturizer it assures that you will not get dry and cracked skin during it as well it helps the make up stay on as well.

"First cover up any blemishes, acne, freckles, moles, with a concealer. A stick concealer works very well in this. Use it under your eyes to make you look more awake and flawless along with the blemishes.

"Next take a very thin liquid concealer that is close to your natural color and use that and blend everything in with your natural skin, giving you a glowing look. Use a large thick brush and a very light powder (if you have a light skin tone only. For any other skin tone use a powder that is your color and will blend well with your natural skin.) swirl the large brush in the powder and brush it gently and evenly along your skin, blending in all of the parts that may have shown through the concealer.

"After this pick a nice blush, depending on your character you may want different shades. A character that is male may not have fluffy rosy cheeks so skip this. I will make another post about male to female and female to male with simple beauty make up.

"So a younger character might have more rosy cheeks, Sealand or Wy might have very red cheeks, but not unnaturally so don't go overboard with the blush. A character more like Ukraine would also have rosy cheeks, while a character like Belarus would have less of red cheeks and just a bit of pink tint.

"Next I would do the eyes, use a light brown and use either a Q-tip or a small brush (the sponge that comes with them works perfectly) and brush it lightly along the very top of you eyelid, then on the crease of our eye put a darker color to give you more of a shadow. Right bellow the eyebrow. This will give a more bright appearance in pictures so your eyes aren't gaping holes in the middle of your head.

"Next you have lips. For men a very skin-close color would be best. Depending on the woman you should put on different shades that match. Do not put it on heavily, or put it on where it's not supposed to be. Make sure you dab at it with a napkin, but assure you don't leave any remains of the napkin on your lips.

"But as for jewelry assure that any jewelry you have is correct for the character and is in the right spot. Adjusting it during the convention or what ever you are doing it may be necessary. Any further questions should be asked to the questions section in the reviews.

"Thank you and now I will answer questions that have been sent by."

Is it possible to try and skip the sectioning, especially if you have long but thin hair? Because all of that sectioning is time consuming. Can't we just take our hair, make a flat bun around our head, pin it with bobby pins and make adjustments after putting the cap on? Because doing little sections take way too much time.

**Hai. It is. But make sure you use a very thin rubber band, because otherwise you'll have a giant poof bal at the top of your head. Those with thicker hair are more likely to use the sectioning for their hair. **

Nihao. I'm planning on cosplaying as china, and I dont need a wig but I do need help on how to edit my oufit since I'm not buying a cosplay. Any ideas?

**Oh you are going as China? I can help you with this. Okay, let me start off by saying for China you need generally something that will mimic his uniform or his around the house wear. **

**A long red shirt wont do, you would have to buy one that goes very long (to your mid thighs) and go along each of the hems with gold. Along with the hems you would have to bring the neck line down a bit and have a collar. Simply look up a lot of pictures of what he usually wears and mimic those to the best of your abilities. **

**Usually China wears flat slip-ons so those would do very well with the cosplay. Make sure that they are black. **

**For the pants they are simply white baggy pants and generally has white wrap (or medical tape works fine) connecting the very tops of your feet to about the middle of your shin. **

**I hope this helps, **

**-Japan**

Hello! I have a question. I am planning to go to a convention cosplaying as Austria. For my wig, it requires Mariazell (his curl) to stay up in place. How do I get it to stay properly for a long period of time?

**Well as for this, it will go for any curl, being it Canada, Italy, or Taiwan. But you see if you have a very thin wire you can lace it through the netting of the wig. Bend it away from your skin or the netting so that you aren't hurt by the wire. Bobby pin this down. Then run the length of hair over it. You can either wrap it around it in a spiral or you could simply run it up the length and pinch it together at the tip. Then drench it, (not too much though) with hair spray or hair gel, then use a hair drier to dry it. This should keep it in place. If you do this properly you shouldn't have to mess with it during the convention. **


	4. A Closer Look: Foundation

Japan grimaces as he looks over what makeup still is over the internet. Moving back over to the webcam his finger flicks across the power button,

"Good evening. My name is Kiku Honda, I have previously added a video about makeup. But I seem to have missed many key points and thus I will add several different chapters talking solely about specific sections of makeup. I will start with a base coat of putting on make up.

"I will start with something that you will have to several days before the convention of video depending on what you are doing. Start with regularly washing your face to rid yourself of any blemishes such as acne. This will help clear up your skin as fast as possible and make any pictures that are taken of you look wonderful. As well as this because of your vigorous washing your skin may dry out unless you use some kind of moisturizer. So use a good moisturizer to make sure your skin is clear and not flaking.

"A clever way to fix a two in one would be to use a bit of lemon juice, from the bottle is fine, and mix it with a egg white. You should use these in equal parts. Then mix them a bit and after washing your face off with water use your fingers to apply over your entire face. Let is dry, which should take 10-20 minutes and then remove using a wet washcloth.

"Now, starting with the actual day of the convention. But be sure to practice makeup before hand. But there are things you want to avoid if your going for a more natural look to your character in regards to facial color; too much color, too many textures, and too many angles.

"So, using a concealer stick you are going to want to go over any blemishes that you may have. Blend in the edges so that you don't have large discolored splotches on your face.

"Then you are going to use a liquid foundation. Assure this is the right color for your skin tone, if it is not then it will give your entire makeup a cakey and thrown together appearance and for those with skin on the lighter colors either make you look orange or like a ghost. Those that have a more tan complexion will look either white or yet again orange or too dark. Finally those with darker skin you will either have skin that stands right out and it practically glowing or you will have your face being much darker than your neck. The best way to avoid bad color is while you are at the store find a mirror (which are located around the general area and hold the bottle up to your cheek. Because if you were to open the bottle and try some on and it wasn't the right color you could pass on germs and bacteria to the person who actually bought it.

"When you apply the foundation dab a bit onto your wrist, this will give a final color test. Then, if the liquid is the right color put it on evenly with a sponge or your fingers. Blend this in with your natural skin as well as the spots that you used the concealer stick on.

"Next using a power. You can use a translucent powder, which will give you a very natural cover and reduce shine or you can go with a pigmented powder which will give you color on either side of the spectrum. These will also either cause you to be cakey or give you a pefect added shine. In application you can either use a clean makeup sponge and swipe it over the entirety of your face and a bit down your neck. Or you can use a brush, which come in multiple sizes, generally in broad application of powder you want a rather large slightly poofy brush to get an even and very thin layer over your face. Finally you can use a powder puff which will give you very high amounts of coverage and generally more thick coverage, too much use of this can lead to a very unrealistic look.

"After this you may want to use blush. If you have in mind characters such as Yachiru, from Bleach or Patty from Soul Eater there is one of several ways that you can do this. You can either paint on the cheeks which would crack and peel once on if you were using actual paint. But, if you use face paint this will not crack or peel but it may rub off so assure that you have a high quality face paint.

"If painting is inaccessible you can go along the routes of using actual blush and applying it very thickly in circles. With some blushes this may work, but with others the more blush you put on the darker and darker and more easily it comes off, it gets. So be wary of using simple blush. Finally you could use something like eye liner, this will stay on long and if you get a decent one wont rub off when it is touched.

"Other than obvious red cheeks such as Yachiru and Patty, there are other kinds of characters of which you could use multiple different means of putting on blush.

"First you have characters such as Hungary, or Sango from Inuyasha, these characters are more womanly and have faces that are more plain if you will. Putting on, depending on skin tone, a very light red blush just along the cheek bones and then blend this well. This will give you a more natural look to it.

"Following this there are characters that appear to be more youthful. Take for example Liechtenstein or Rukia from Bleach. These characters would have more rosey, pink cheeks. Also in this category would be characters from Lucky Star or Azumanga Daioh, and yes also Belarus. Belarus for the strict reasoning that even though they may be harsh you have to take external appearance more into consideration while preparing a cosplay. Not internal. Misa Misa from Death Note would also fall under this category.

"Next for men. Such as Asuma from Naruto, or Turkey (Without the mask). They don't have very obvious red rosey cheeks or dazzling red cherry's on their faces so many people would wonder if blush would be necessary at all. Yes and no. You see when you are doing shadowing (crossplay will be covered in another chapter) you will find that men have very distinct angles in their faces. To highlight them you may want to use a lighter powder over the tops of your cheekbones. Do not put it anywhere under your cheekbones.

"Please excuse me for making this one more with more length on it. Eyes will be coming up next and if there are any special requests or questions about this chapter please refer to the reviews portion.

"Thank you and I will now answer questions,

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me since this us the furst closplay I'm gonna do you see I'm gonna go cosplay as Canada but theres a problem I'm a girl so I,m not sure what to do also I have been having trouble doing his voice.

**Of course, this is your first cosplay? How wonderful! But you must have to make sure you have a good costume. As for your being a girl make sure to bind your chest down to make sure you don't have any bump there from your bosom. After this, the voice, it's very high if you think about it. So make sure that you keep your voice very high, but very quite. Then make sure even if you are attempting to yell at or for anyone be really quite. Make sure you keep front of your throat and top of your mouth. I hope that helps. Oh an only accent a couple words. **

**- Japan**

Hello Japan! I'm new to cosplaying, but I'm used to conventions. However, 2 of my male friends are going to join our group. They don't know much of Hetalia, and one is scared/doesn't want to dress up. How can I convince them, without being pushy? And should we start off at smaller conventions, so that they get used to it a good idea?

**Well you can tell them that it is good to express originality as well as that you can tell them that it will strengthen your friendship. Start them off with characters that could be considered easy. If you are cosplaying from Hetalia take into consideration their body shape, face shape and if they would be good for cosplaying a certain character.**

**As for starting off at smaller conventions that would be best. Considering small conventions are generally cheaper, have less people, and it is less complicated to be lost if you are in a crowd. **

**Another comment being if they are male and are not used to cosplaying you may need to assist them with hair and makeup if nessisary.**

**-Japan**


	5. A Closer Look: Lips and False Teeth

Japan smiles a bit to himself as he walks into his bedroom. What a chaotic day. He walks over to the computer and sets up his new webcam that he had found. It didn't take him long and he flicked it on and began to tape;

"The other day I covered foundation. I also posted a few of one of my friend's tips, but today I shall be covering lips and false teeth, things of that sort.

"So first, I am going to let you know that there is different kinds of lip coverings for different kinds of characters so I'll start at the beginning. With young children and moe characters, they generally have very natural colored lips because young children don't necessarily wear any of any sort. So for young girls go with more pink tones while when you are looking at boys go for more of a neutral and natural color. Light and very light pinks work for this. Make sure if you do go for the natural colors not to choose any shimmer or glossy lipstick or lip-gloss. This would even go far enough as to cover character such as Ceil Phantomhive from Black Butler, to Honey from Ouran highschool and of course Sealand.

"When you are going for older woman a lot of the character either have neutral colored lips or red, for example Madam Red from Black Butler. But you have to remember with the neutral lips is that lips do have color, if you are going for a more human look for then it would be a good idea to give them a touch of color. While on the other hand if you are going for the closer to the anime look it is better to give yourself more of the flesh-tone color.

"While on the subject of neutral color there is one of two ways you can do this. The first being to find some lipstick that has no shimmer to it what so ever and matches your skin tone, this is the preferable idea. But the other way to go about it would be to use the foundation that you have and put it over you lips while you apply the foundation to blend them. After this is done you can use your powder when you go over your entire face and blend your lips this way. There is one risk with this, if you do not put Chapstick on or you have sensitive lips they may dry, crack and bleed depend on the foundation that you use.

"Next, if you are doing a character with colored lips, lips with certain colors to them like purple or red or sometimes black will come as a lipstick form at any makeup store. But colors like green, or blue would really only be bought at costume stores if you are wanting to have a decent color.

"Lipstick or lip coverings are generally used for accent or for more pronounced lips. When you are putting on the makeup assure that, if it is a lip stick, you do not use it directly from a thick stick, although these may be good for on the go it is better for coverage if you are able to use a small brush and take it from the top and shape your lips that way.

"When you are shaping your lips it is important to remember that the top lip is the priority. Especially If you are being a very feminine woman, the curves at the very tip of your upper lip that they are traced perfectly with the brush, this can be easily done with smooth yet subtle waves as you go along the top of your lip. This will give them more volume.

"After you have finished doing the lip coverings it is time to put in false teeth if you have any. There are some cosplay's in which you have specific teeth that you wear, such as Grell from Black Butler, these have simple ways to be made and tutorials can be found all over Youtube as well as Google. If there are any requests I would be more then willing to write a chapter on how to create these.

"With false teeth they are generally as simple to put on as opening your mouth, assuring your lips aren't in the way and then popping them into place. Cheap teeth will stop you from being able to fluently speak, and others will have you drooling all over yourself. The good ones are the ones that either one, have been custom made for your mouth. Two, are higher quality that you put on each individual tooth. Or Three, something glued to your Invisaline-retainer, which I have seen and it worked quite well. It may anger your dentist if glue is left over, so that isn't the supported route to go.

"Thank you and the next chapter will be covering eyes and colored contact/glasses. If there are any questions about this chapter or any earlier chapters please review. I will take requests on videos as well. Thank you and I will now answer your questions that were sent in earlier:

" Thank you very much! Although I think one will just film. But your tips are amazing Japan! Also, about the scrubbing the week before, do you suggest using acne medication on the day of the Convention, or could that cause a problem with the makeup. I use a special acid soap, so I don't want to hurt my skin.

**The day of the convention it is best to, early in the morning, use something like the egg and lemon juice mixture (Equal parts each). This or another natural remedy that you have tried out earlier and wont dry out your skin. Dry, peeling skin may be a result of vigorous scrubbing so do not over clean your skin before hand. If it is a very acidic medication that you use on your skin make sure that it doesn't damage your skin. **

Wouldn't using a brush for foundation be better than using a sponge or your hands? I mean with a brush you don't throw it out and brushes don't produce oil. I know some people complain about streaky brush marks but it can be avoided if you make criss cross motions by brushing foundation in one direction and then going in the opposite direction.

**A brush could be an amazing thing in the hands of someone that knew what they were doing. But a brush in the hands of someone that doesn't will end up in a splotchy mess with streaks that show up quite a lot in pictures. With the beginning concealer a brush would be fun but for the main foundation that you are using it would be best to use that sponge. Yes you eventually have to clean or throw away a sponge but you also have to do this with a brush eventually. Sponges give you a clean start each time and stop you from running the risk of mixing several different tones together. **

**Over all it depends on the person. Others perfer brushes while I prefer sponges. **

hello i was wondering if you could do a chapter on working with your own hair, for example Korea's hair style or Italy

**I could most certainly do something like that. I have actually done this with my own hair at one point so I will add this in on one of the later chapters, thank you for your support. **

hi, as you can see i'm a pretty big hetalia fan and this year i'm going into year 7(i have the bottom locker DX) and i was thinking of trying to cosplay for my camp talent show and realised my hair/bangs is quite similar to china's but i think it would be better to use his uniform instead of his casual wear because only one of my friends/classmates know the show and might find it slightly offensive so i was wondering what i could do to do his uniform because the closest i have are some baggy pants with a camouflage pattern on it -_- and i'm trying to save up for my first con that will most likely be on my birthday/weekend over my birthday so i need help with the costume.

**The costume is a replica of a actual military uniform so if you could look at a military surplus store then it might be possible for you to actually find a similar uniform there. Also when you are trying to do the costume it is good to use the very dim green slacks. Camouflage pants wouldn't necessarily work for China because his pants are in fact a plain color. Any other further specific questions would also be welcome if I did not cover specifically what you wanted, thank you."**


	6. A Closer Look: Eyes, curl, Iggybrows

Japan frowns as he slides the door shut behind him. He hasn't been on very often lately and so he hasn't posted any new videos like he had promised he would. Sighing he plopped down in his chair, ignoring the several emails that beckoned to him from the screen and flipped on his web cam, ready to post once again after such a long time.

"Hello, it is me once again, I apologize for the lateness of the chapter but I can assure you it will be made up for by me adding all of the segments you have asked for into this video of, eyes, contacts, eye shadow, fake lashes, and more. I will also be covering at the end how to make an Italy curl with your hair and the hair of a wig. As an extra add on I will be explaining the many ways of which there are to make England eyebrows without purchasing fakes.

"Let me start by saying that the many newer cosplayers do not use any eye makeup what so ever, it is not simply bias when I say that this is a large mistake. If you wish to have your picture taken it is best to have your eyes be shown off with the outline of eyeshadow and eyeliner. As well as that many characters have lines to show where their eyes begin and end and a large amount of authors take this as an opportunity to draw very thick lines around the eye to show off where the eyes start and end.

"To begin we will cover the very basics. For a character such as a male or a plain female character like Ukraine (APH) the best option is to pick three tones that are similar to your own skin color. A tone that matches, a tone that is noticeably lighter and a tone that is darker. Using either the sponge that comes with it, a small brush, a cotton ball (in half), or a Q-tip take the color that matches your skin tone and put it all over the top of your eye lid. Some eyelids have more skin on it then others creating more wrinkles, if you will. It may be necessary to raise the eyebrow and place a finger by the eye, not stretching the skin, but it prevents it from moving around while you are applying the makeup.

"Take the tone and put it evenly all over the top of the lid and take it and go to the outside of the lid and bring it down to about half way under your waterline, just under your eye. Then you will take the darker color and line very close to your lashes as well as in the crease in your eyelid, this will give it more definition and more shape. Finally take the very light one and place it just under your eyebrow all the way across, this adds a bit more shadowing that isn't there and shows a more model finish.

"Finally with the plain characters or the male characters take either a dark brown or a black eyeliner and close your eye, get as close to the lashes as possible, making sure that you get into the lashes as well. Then take that line and draw it across your water line. You will find this challenging if you haven't done it before, it is actually an odd feeling when you first put it on so practice. Take the bottom eyelid and tug, ever so slightly so the red shows, go along the water line with the liner, some tutorials call for half way, others for all of the way through, this is another based on opinion. Make sure to finish with the mascara regardless of the character.

"Next for more womanly characters that actually have longer eyelashes and thicker lines around their eyes, such as Belarus(APH), Ino (Naruto), and Matsumoto (Bleach) as well as others. This is where you would take shades of pink, three different shades, a shade that is more neutral, a light that is nearly white if not white, and a darker hot pink. Go lightly over the lid with the neutral color, assuring to get the entire lid. Then, same as the previous the darker goes around the eye but this time this one follows through and goes, very subtly under the eye, hardly noticeably but enough that it can be seen, and in the crease of your eye. Then the lighter a bit more wide, by your eyebrows. Then take the black eyeliner and draw a slightly thicker line along your eyelashes making sure there is no visible space between your liner and the end of your eye. Then bring it around just bellow the water line as well as along the water line. Again, you may need to practice these before the night before. You will finish up with mascara or fake lashes.

"With other characters such as Ciel (Black Butler) or Alois (Black Butler II) there are many tutorials online to show them specifically characters with more thick lines around their eye will generally need more handy work around the eyes so either request or look around for basic tutorials on those characters.

"We shall move onto the fake lashes now. Many of them have directions within them to actually apply them, but we shall cover it anyway. First, stores generally have a wide assortment of fake eyelashes, places such as Wall-Mart, Target etc. have large amounts of them near their makeup. When you get to the store remember to have a small reference picture with you of the character, it would make the selection much easier to make. There are many different types of lashes that are generally shown, ones with small sections of lashes that you can style on your own, or ones that are already put together that you are able to trim if need be. The ones you should choose depends on the characters, because the all together ones also give you a thick black line along your eyelashes, looking like eyeliner. These are good for most Black Butler characters while the others would be good for more of the Sasori(Naruto) or the Itachi types where the lashes are in particular spots.

"When you find the pair that is perfect for you, remember during application to read through the directions, sometimes you have to buy glue separately, so unless it says precisely on the box that there is glue included, buy some along with the lashes to make sure. Most glue will dry out in a few weeks if not used until it's empty, this way you can reuse the lashes, you just have to buy new glue.

"When applying them generally you assure that they fit correctly using the adhesive that was holding the lashes to the container, then when they are trimmed adequately break a Q-tip in half and place the glue on there. Put the glue along the band and then bring the lashes as close to your lashes, as possible, without actually being on them. After the lashes are on assure the fit is comfortable make sure that they are dry and take a mascara and blend your lashes with those of the fake lashes, making a even more seamless appearance.

"Finally I will do the extras that I have promised, first the Italy curl with your natural hair. This generally works if you have a rat tail or something of the sort, but it can work if you just have simply ear length hair. Start by gathering wire, a de-furred pipe cleaner may also work, but thin wire is preferred. Make sure that you get about an inch width of hair in your hands that is in the bottom layer where it can be hidden by the top. This works especially well if you have hair with multiple layers. Take the wire and bend it so it takes the shape from wrapping around the back of your ear to where you want the curl to protrude. Distort the wire in the shape you want it and then take the lock of hair and begin to wrap it around it making sure it covers the entirety of the wire and none of it is showing. Use first a styling gel and run it all over the curl spiking the top of the curl as well. Them take the hair spray and soak the curl with it, you'll need a hairdryer for the next part. Dry the curl until it is solid and can stay on it's own. It will twist at the base of it where it originally connects with your head until you hold the wire still with bobby pins.

"Pull your natural hair over the bobby pins and where the curl connects and style the rest as needed.

"With a wig it is the same thing, but you can buy actual extensions and you lace the wiring through the netting rather then around your ear.

"Finally I will cover the extra for England eyebrows. First you'll need a decent glue stick, a stick concealer, powder foundation that matches your skin tone, cream foundation, a black liquid eyeliner, and a hair dryer. Use the glue and go along the flow of your eyebrows to flatten your eyebrows. This may take a while depending on the thickness of your eyebrows or the hairs in them. Then once the glue is sufficiently dry and you have a decent flat surface use the powder and that will set with the glue and cover just a bit of your eyebrows, not a whole bunch. Then take the stick and go over it in the same way, going with the flow of your eyebrow. This will cover even more of it and make sure to blend the edges as you go. Next use the cream foundation and taking a sponge or your desired tool put it along the eyebrow, it may take two or three layers to get the entire coverage. Blend this with your skin with the powder and you should have a covered eyebrow. You may need to put a few more layers of the stick or the cream depending on the thickness of the hairs as I've said before.

"Then, when actually drawing them in use the black liquid eyeliner and first draw a long line stretching just lower then where your eyebrow would be, then a similar sized one above that. Gradually getting shorter above that, a bit short above that, and even shorter above that one. In total you should have five lines relatively close together but still separate.

"Now, this is fairly easy to get of, the glue will not hurt upon removal if a wet cloth is taken and rubbed across it. This is the way that I've found is the most successful with my own eyebrows after looking around online, you should still experiment with other ways as well to get the results you are looking for.

"Thank you and I yet again apologize for the lateness. Until next time, were we will be discussing costuming."


	7. Costumes: Quality and What To Buy

Japan finishes clicking the last of his emails shut and pulls his eyebrows together, the people have waited long enough. He lifts a finger and drifts it across the top of his webcam, turning it on so his own image appeared in front of him on the screen once again.

"Hello once again. Today I will be covering costumes, good places where to get them, ways you can make them, and how you can get them in other places rather then online.

"To begin I will say that simply because there is a costume online with decent reviews and no pictures, it is easy to fake reviews and the thing that you purchase will most likely not be what you want it to be. So assure that there are pictures of the costume as well as trust worthy reviews from people that have bought the wig.

"When shopping online it is best to start by knowing what or who you are looking for, so be sure to pick a character that you are set on and will want to be in a few more weeks, once the costume is shipped. After you have your character picked go onto a search engine that will show you actual results, going onto Google is one of your best bets on account that they have more anime related sites compared to Yahoo and Bing.

"Once you have picked a search engine search for what you want to buy and go from there, remember that if you are mostly concerned on price and you go for the cheapest costume there is you wont always get quality. But if you are going for quality your prices will be very large. Any decent cosplay online will generally not be under 50-60 dollars (Without shipping and handling). But any costume that you should actually consider will not be over 150 dollars unless you'd rather spend an extra fifty dollars on a costume you could have easily gotten cheaper.

"Assure, using the pictures and resources provided, that the costume is the correct color and texture. You'll have to eyeball this one because you can't physically feel it or try it on. Also make sure that is it the right length (speaking dress wise) otherwise you'll end up with a too short dress.

"When ordering be sure you have your measurements correct before getting the costume. There is a large difference between 30 inch sleeve and a 40 inch sleeve or vice versa.

"Next when you decide to make, or sew the costume this is a big commitment to make. This means you will actually go out, purchase fabric that would be correct for the character, that you would take the time to find the proper pattern, or create one yourself as I do, and also that you will be for blame for any mis-measurings of yourself or whoever your sewing for. You will first need the proper fabric, the proper materials to make the costume and then the right tactics in which to create them.

"If you are inexperienced with sewing it is a very strongly recommended idea to practice before you actually touch the final fabric.

"Moving onto scavenging for the pieces. This is often done with steampunk looks or even Pirate!Hetalia because there is no set, actual design that you have to follow to get the costume right. When looking around be sure to have at least an idea of what you are looking for, say if you were a pirate, you could be looking for some large crosses, a poofy, flowy shirt.

"You can always accessorize when you are doing free-roaming costumes because you are able to create what ever your mind creates. In this realm there is no such thing as too much.

"Now, if you are looking for a costume such as one of the dresses that Rukia (bleach) wears then you could look at Good Will or Ross, or another cheap store to get a look that is similar to the one that you are looking for.

"As well as this, if you are cosplaying from Hetalia and are looking for a military uniform try looking at a military surplus store for some of the costumes, you may be surprised at the outcome of looking there.

"Now there is no assuring that if you go out a buy a replacement for a costume that it will be exactly the same as if you went online and bought one but you could be surprised with what you can find.

"As a bit of an add on I will cover here at the end how to do a quick cross-play without the make up.

"When you are a woman cosplaying a man there is one very noticeable diference between the two genders and that is basically enough for me to have to say. But when you look around conventions does it not bug you that the Germany or Italy or any other male character, that is standing around you has enormous bulges protruding from their chest? Do not be the male character that has breasts.

"You can fix this easily be simply putting on a sports bra on and wrapping ace-wrap tightly around your chest. For some it makes it challenging to breath, but if this is the case simply loosen up a tid bit on the wrap. This will make it harder to move but it will give you a even more seamless cosplay that you could take pictures of and be proud of.

"Next, if you have a wider stomach, or even have a thin stomach and this will be covered by you cosplay it will give you that sexy look and show off your waist, if you were to use a corset and tighten it around your waist, not too tight, but tight enough to cover any major bumps. Please refrain from doing this if you are easily light-headed, do not feel comfortable doing so, or you are pregnant. This could cause major problems for your health if you do.

"Thank you and I hope you found this video very enriching. The next video will be covering props. Thank you for your time. Japan."


	8. Tips From Another

Japan checks his email and copies and pastes a few sections of text and begins to read allowed into his webcam:

"I have gotten a few emails from a friend of mine. She told me she had a few tips. This will assist you all I hope, she knows what she's doing. I'll read them allowed to you…

"This is for you're cosplay advice fic and I've got some advice for cosplayers on behavior.

"Tip 1: Don't be overly affectionate, it's nice to make friends and all but don't go groping people out of nowhere with no warning. It doesn't feel comfortable for most people and chances are you might get hit or scare them.

"Tip 2: Don't hit people because they cosplay as a character that you hate. Remember, opinions are like belly buttons, everyone's got one. So if you see somebody cosplaying as your least favorite character, just walk away from them.

"Tip 3: Don't start arguments. Starting an argument is not only one of the easiest ways to lose a new friend, but also to get thrown out by security if it get's serious. One topic to avoid is religion and politics. There's an old saying that discussing those types topics are the easiest way to start a fight, so don't start any arguments of any kind. And avoid personal questions.

"Tip 4: If you meet an actor from a show don't get too excited, because its better when they feel comfortable. Compliment them, give them a small gift if you want to, or ask for their autograph. Again, avoid asking questions that are too personal, because starting an argument with a VA is worse than an argument with a cosplayer.

"Tip 5: In a Q&A pannel of any kind be patient and wait your turn. This also goes for lines, no cutting because everyone else is waiting too.

"Tip 6: Remember good manners, try holding a door open for other people, especially when they're carrying a lot of bags.

"Tip 7: Most cosplayers are friendly enough to let them take a picture with you, so don't bug them. Just ask them politely and they will allow you to take a picture with them.

"Tip 8: Try not to pull too many pranks on people, remember it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

"Tip 9: Don't smoke, both indoor and outdoor. It's not cool for people with sensitive lungs or who have asthma.

"Tip 10: Remember table manners. When you're eating, don't eat like a pig or talk with your mouth full because nobody likes seeing chewed up food and being a pig is a turn off. Also, clean up any mess you leave behind, it's not cool for the people who have to clean it up.

"Tip 11: If security asks for your ID present it, use a passport, license, school ID or something.

"Tip 12: This is one tip that needs to be emphasized for everyone. SHOWER! Okay remember to take a bath before going in and use deodorant too. Nobody likes it when you smell. It's not cool for other people.

"Tip 13: Avoid being a weaboo. You don't know if some actor/actress from Japan is going to be there so don't speak Japanese to them since a translator will be their and speaking/acting like a weaboo in public will not make you look cool, it makes you look stupid. So if you speak your own language that is not Japanese, speak it because you are most likely not Japanese.

"Tip 14: Aside from verbal fighting, don't get into physical fighting as well, unless you're just acting, or practicing for a skit, it's an easy way to get thrown out by security.

"Tip 15: When at a panel that's not 18 or older, avoid having potty mouth, most likely there are some parents, children or preteens there, so you don't go around saying words they don't understand. This also goes for the whole convention as well, but if you do have a potty mouth try to keep it quite, or at least limit yourself to PG words like damn, and hell. F bombs, the s word, and the c word are not acceptable.

"Tip 16: Some people may have allergies to certain foods like peanuts, so be considerate if they're allergic to peanuts, so no peanut snacks should brought with you. But if you're going to bring them try to make sure the people you're eating with don't have allergies. The same goes if you do have allergies, be careful of any food that's there especially Asian food since they use peanut oil for seasoning most of the time. So try to pack a lunch if you can't find anything that won't trigger your allergies.

"Tip 17: When it comes to weapons be sure to follow your convention's rules, so gun's, swords, knives, axes, etc, should be left at home, unless its part of the costume and its fake. This is common in most convention rules not to bring actual weapons, so if you need something that's part of your costume, make sure all blades are plastic or wood. You can also make your own via papier-mach'e.

"Tip 18: Respect the laws in your own country, region, state, etc. Especially for Hetalia cosplayers Swastika symbols have been banned in Germany, Austria, and France, and the sickle and hammer symbol has been banned in many former soviet nations.

"Tip 19: Do no wear outfits that are too revealing, remember no shirt, no shoes, no service, especially for girl cosplayers. But if you do choose to dress in a costume that looks revealing wear a body suit underneath, remember there are children at these conventions.

"Tip 20: Consult your convention's rules before going in advance this way we can all have fun.

"Tip 21: Hotel tip 1: Try reserving your hotel room in advanced, and make sure you can afford it but it's not too cheap. A very cheap hotel is not a good idea so remember to save money as much as you can before going.

"Tip 22: remember that there are other people not going to the convention at your hotel, so let them get some sleep, and respect them as they respect you. Remember, there are small children and little babies at these hotels just like the convention. These people can and will complain if things get too hasty. It's not good for you, the hotel, or the con's reputation.

"Tip 23: If people are curious about the costumes explain what it's about so they don't look at you weird for the whole day.

"Tip 24: Again, when it comes to weapons, keep in mind of the hotel's rules, tell them by sending pictures of your weapon at every angle through their website so they will know it's just a prop and not something dangerous.

"Tip 25: Limit yourself on hotel food intake, just like the convention, most hotel food is expensive, so try to limit yourself to just breakfast and a few pieces of fruit, since conventions don't always serve breakfast.

"Tip 26: If you want to save money for a gift at the dealer's booth, try to find a food store close by and stock up on snacks and drinks, or a fast food place to grab a bite. But be sure to limit on fast food intake, we don't want any of our figure's ruined by eating too much junk.

"Tip 27: Try and leave as little of a mess as possible in your room, nobody wants to see crumbs, costume pieces, makeup, spray stains,and sheets all over the place, it's not cool for the people that have to clean it up.

"Tip 28: If you're going with friends respect each other's privacy, especially if one of your friends are not your gender, you don't want people seeing you when you need privacy, it's what's done at home so do it for your friends too.

"Tip 29: Shoe tip, if you're not used to wearing heels or the shoes you got are brand new, break them in a couple of weeks before the convention so you'll be comfortable wearing them. Also, bring along sneakers, a spare pair of socks, or sandals just in case your feet will thank you later.

"Tip 30: Try to break in your costume beforehand as well to make sure your comfortable wearing it, also if the convention is in the summer, make sure the fabric breaths. And be aware of your convention hall's location. Climate can help with your costume choice, so avoid heavy costumes in conventions that take place in hot areas, especially in the summer like Anime Vegas *The city is close to a desert need I say more?* trust me you will thank yourself for that.

"Tip 31: Don't sleep in the hotel lobby because not only will people look at you in weird ways, and you rented that hotel room for a reason, so don't waste you or your parent's money.

"Tip 32: Please bring antiperspirant deodorant with you at all times in the convention, also for ladies shave your armpits and legs. Especially armpits because that's how deodorant works. Body spray won't do at all, especially for guys, most of us don't like smelling a mix of axe with sweat.

"Tip 33: For hygiene ladies remember your monthly cycle, sometimes we get those really bad attacks that make us faint so remember to bring ibuprofen pills *Advil, tylenol, alive etc.* and feminine protection, also remember to try and avoid anything with mounds of sodium if you're going through it while at the convention, like ramen noodles, chips, pretzels, and fries. Not only will it make cramps worse, it makes your face and body all bloated which is not good for pictures. However, if you're just craving salty snacks drink a lot of water afterwards. And things like soda and energy drinks don't count, especially for keeping yourself hydrated, so try and drink more water, fruit juice, and milk rather than soda or any drink filled with sugar.

"Tip 34: Behavior reminder: Don't act like an overly excited hyperactive 5 year old on a sugar rush throughout the whole convention just like the hotel people can complain about it and you can get kicked out. We know some people are excited, but save your energy. And also, don't act like the stressed out sad kid that spoils it for everyone, conventions are like a vacation, don't stress out or be sad about it.

"Tip 35: Do not try to be the center of attention, there are hundreds of other people at these conventions the whole con is about getting together and having a good time and enjoying your favorite anime, manga, games, etc. If you want attention, save it for the stage by doing a skit, or enter a costume contest if the convention is holding one. Another option is to ask to be in pictures with other people, because chances are people on the internet will know you later on when photos of you are posted.

"Tip 36: And remember, if you bring a camera, ipod, handheld gaming system, or any type of expensive portable electronic, keep watch over it. Because if left unwatched somebody can and most likely will, steal it. Which also reminds me, do not bring expensive jewelry with you as well, especially if it's important to your family, you could lose it or have it stolen

"Tip 37: Remember your own strength: If your costume is heavy and you're weak it's not a good sign b/c you'll be struggling to move around.

"Tip 38: Check if your costume can stay on you securely, but is easy for you to take off, especially the pants because everybody at some point in the day has to go to the bathroom.

"Tip 39: Also, please mention this incident about sensitive material. Rumor has it that at Anime boston 2010, during passover, in front of a holocaust museum there were these 2 cosplayers dressed up as Germany and Prussia with swastika symbol bands doing a nazi salute. We don't need anything like this happening again if it did happen, remember, this is the 21st century so we don't need anything like that. It's not cool for people who can get offended by that stuff.

"Tip 40: Yeah, this can also go for flags as well. If you're a hetalia cosplayer bringing a large flag to the convention, respect it. Treating those flags like a common prop is an offense in many different nations, so don't leave them on the floor, step all over them, or bring any damage to it, just gently fold it up and store it if you're not using it for the day. And if you can't carry it with you, just carry a smaller flag, or don't bring one. Because offending people on purpose or unintentionally is not a good idea, you can get kicked out of the convention possibly for good.

"Tip 41: That and if you're going to enter a costume contest, make your costume. Because it's usually against the rules for store brought costumes to be in the contest, and anybody would know why, it's cheating. It's not fair that somebody who works day and night on a costume is out shined by somebody who brought one they didn't even work on. However, hats, shoes and boots, wigs, props, and some accessories may be brought but the actual costume has to be home made in order to be in the contest, no exceptions. And if you have to buy your costume because you suck at making your own, just have fun at the convention, or enter the skit competition instead, if the allow brought costumes to be in the skit.


End file.
